I am going to go out on a limb here,
but, there is something you need to know. You are not getting
a major label record deal. You will not get signed to a major
booking agency, or management company. You will not be getting
a support slot on the tour for that arena band that has influenced
your sound, nobody is going to finance a national tour for you
and no one is going to publicize your performances to the media.
There I said it. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear
and it’s possible that these are the only ways in which
you have defined “success.” But I can confidently
say that the odds are just against you and in actuality the
odds of you winning your state lottery are better.

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Protect
Your Gear with Insurance
What's the best way to insure your music and sound gear? If
you consider your gear personal property, your homeowner's or
renter's insurance policy should protect it. Ask your insurance
carrier to be sure. However, if you do use your equipment for
business (and hopefully exploit the tax advantages of this strategy)
you MUST check with your insurance carrier. You may need a rider
to your personal policy or even a separate policy altogether.
Go visit your insurance agent in person and explain your situation
fully and accurately. Here are some of the questions you need
clearly answered.

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How
To Help The Music Industry Take You Seriously
I'll be honest, and this sounds bizarre, but A&Rs will understand
this. Usually I know whether an artist is worth any salt before
I've opened the package. What??? I hear you scream - how can
this be? Well, let me just say that an artist who is serious
will do it right from the start. The size of the envelope tells
me what is inside (whether it is a thrown together CD with a
Polaroid photo or a proper press kit with 8x10 photo etc). The
return address will tell me a great deal too. Is it scribbled
from someone's home address or is it a professional label with
a company name?

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Expand
Your Definition Of A Live Performance
Hopefully, your marketing plans include a heaping helping of
live shows.
But what type of live shows do you plan? The problem is, many
musicians get stuck in live performance ruts and fail to think
outside the box. For instance, most rock bands flock like lemmings
to nightclubs. Most acoustic singer-songwriters obsess over
coffee shops and folk venues. That's fine, but they end the
thought process there -- and then complain that there aren't
enough gig slots for all of the acts who want to play. The solution:
Redefine your live performance goals. And ask yourself the right
questions.

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Onlinegigs
Booking Tips And Advice
To be able to book gigs successfully you'll need a ton of persistence
and even better organization. Whether you are booking locally,
regionally or nationally you will essentially need the same
skills and tools to be effective. Independent bands and agents,
by definition, tend to lack the nationwide connections necessary
to make the idea of booking an extended tour possible. As a
result the ones that are most successful are generally the same
ones that understand how to gather, and effectively manage,
all of their business related contacts. We've all seen some
pretty lousy bands with some damn good gigs, so talent isn't
always the main issue.

The copyright and contract
laws act to reduce the output side of the funnel as small as
possible. We can the say this is the The Funnel Copyright System
that has destroyed the quality of the works. Nevertheless, The
Funnel Copyright System is good for the copyright industry because
it reduces internal (old works competing with new works) and
external competition (works from other publishers). The actual
result The Funnel Copyright System is to incentivate the copyright
industry to become political and to become courtroom investors
for the purpose of acquiring the works of the creators at the
least cost, while exploiting the public who consumes the works
with the highest prices.

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Preparing
Your Release: An Overview Let's get into some manufacturing basics.
The cost of making CDs has gone down since the CD debuted in
1982. Manufacturing plants offer dozens of "package deals"
to make it easier for artists to release their own music. In
fact, when I ask a new client why they pressed up 1,000 copies
of their first CD, they usually answer, "Well, I called
this company I saw advertising in a music magazine and they
had this great deal on pressing up 1,000 CDs." OK‹but please
stop and ask yourself these questions before you order: